McCracken feeling upbeat as he looks toward Rio

27 July 2013 / 13:25

British Boxing performance director Rob McCracken insists all is good on the road to Rio despite the decision of Olympic gold medallists Luke Campbell and Anthony Ogogo to join the sport's professional ranks.

Four of last year's ten strong team - who won three golds, one silver and a bronze - have left McCracken's programme since last summer but he insists the talent that remains and is coming through looks good for 2016.

“The first couple of years after an Olympic Games you tend to lose three or four of the big names,” he said.

“What you do then is you spend time trying to get the gap filled over the next 18 months to two years.

“By the time you get there you’ll have a really strong squad in place and you’re suddenly vying for medals again in Brazil.

“We can do a lot in three years, plus you already have six of the ten from London which is fantastic.

“We've still got Andrew Selby, a European champion and world silver medallist, Fred Evans, another European champion and Olympic silver medallist and Josh Taylor, who made the team last year.

“On the women's side we've got an Olympic champion in Nicola Adams, a world champion in Savannah Marshall and a class act like Natasha Jonas.

"With that sort of talent and experience, you've got to be right in business."